The PEI Symphony Orchestra will hold a benefit concert for the people of Ukraine on Sunday, April 24, at 2:30 pm, at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. The concert will feature music by Ukrainian composers, music written for Ukraine, and music that symbolizes unity and strength in adversity, including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Among the musicians performing will be faculty members and graduates from the UPEI Department of Music.
 
A portion of the proceeds will be go toward helping with Ukrainian humanitarian relief efforts; the audience will have the opportunity to make contributions at the event. The funds raised will help provide food, medicine, and shelter to those who have been injured and/or forced to flee their homes by the destruction caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
 
Tickets are available at the Confederation Centre Box Office (902-566-1267), starting at $35 per adult and $15 per student.

Non-consensual distribution of intimate images (NCDII) is becoming an increasingly common form of digital harassment. If you would like to know more about about NCDII and Canadian law, policing, and supports available for victims, please join an online panel discussion hosted by the NCDII Student Research Group at UPEI, Thursday, April 21, from 7- 8 pm. 

We are so excited to be able to bring together the expertise of four panel guests: 

1. Alexa Dodge, a post-doctoral fellow at Dalhousie in Law, Justice, and Society who specializes in NCDII, feminist theory, critical legal theory, and tech-facilitated violence
2. RCMP Const. Shannon Hodder, PEI's Internet Child Exploitation Unit
3. Sophia Saad, Board of Directors, P.E.E.R.S. Alliance
4. Darren Laur, licensed open-source intelligence and social media investigator and CLO with the White Hatter, a North American Internet safety and digital literacy education company 

The panel can be accessed through Zoom at the following link: https://fb.me/e/3bCf3AHzu

Attendance is free, but spaces are limited.

For more information about the panel or to learn more about the NCDII Student Research Group, please contact Heather Barnick, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, at hbarnick@upei.ca or student researchers Kailyn Sherren at kdsherren@upei.ca and Kaelyn White at kjwhite2@upei.ca.

The Faculty of Business invites members of the campus community – students, faculty and staff – to attend a virtual research presentation by Dr. Scott Cassidy for a tenure-track position of assistant professor of management position, with a focus on human resource management (HRM). 

Candidate Bio:

Dr. Scott Cassidy holds a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Guelph, as well as a diploma in Information Technology from Conestoga College. Scott’s line of organizational research is informed by this dual background in psychology and technology and primarily investigates ways to build effective virtual team communication patterns using a variety of different technologies in order to foster effective virtual teams. Scott also has ancillary research interests in team mental models, best practices in employee selection, and research pertaining to credentialing and to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Outside of his academic work, Scott has a wide-ranging background in organizational consulting and psychometrics. This includes three years working with government agencies to develop effective employee selection and structured interview techniques; seven years of leadership coaching and strategic business communications experience in the Canadian agricultural industry; and three years consulting on the assessment programs for several pan-Canadian credentialing and educational bodies.

Presentation Title:  Lost in Transmission: The Role of Communications Media in Developing High-Trust, High-Performance Remote Employee Teams

Abstract:

In the roughly two years since the COVID-19 virus resulted in the declaration of a global pandemic, the Canadian workforce has seen an unprecedented shift towards remote working arrangements, mediated by information and communications technologies. Although advances in these technologies have allowed workers to connect and collaborate across time and space to an extent that has never been possible before, remote work teams themselves present a challenge to organizations. Namely, as employee conversations increasingly move from the water cooler to the web, we risk losing many of the nuances that help us understand and meaningfully connect with our co-workers in the first place. And in doing so, we may ultimately harm our ability to work together effectively.

Dr. Scott Cassidy argues that remote (or virtual) work teams, if poorly structured, can foster greater uncertainty, lower trust, and maladaptive approaches to task completion. To explore this idea, he will discuss some of his mixed-methods research on simulated military rescue teams operating across different forms of electronic communications media.

In this presentation, he will discuss the major takeaways from this line of work; its future HRM applications to both globalized workforces and regional islands research; and the role that organizational scholars can serve in helping managers navigate what has rapidly become one of the most dramatic shifts to the global workforce in decades.

The presentation will take place on April 22 from 1:00–2:00 pm (Atlantic Time) via the following Zoom link:  

https://upei.zoom.us/j/69744346758?pwd=c3R2MVN6VWNybTFYajBsWWRxK3ZLUT09

Meeting ID: 697 4434 6758

Passcode: 130329

For further information, please contact Shelly Kavanagh at businessfac@upei.ca.

The Faculty of Business invites members of the campus community – students, faculty and staff – to attend a virtual lecture (teaching demonstration) by Dr. Scott Cassidy for a tenure-track position as assistant professor of management, with a focus on human resource management (HRM). 

Candidate Bio:

Dr. Scott Cassidy holds a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Guelph, as well as a diploma in Information Technology from Conestoga College. Scott’s line of organizational research is informed by this dual background in psychology and technology and primarily investigates ways to build effective virtual team communication patterns using a variety of different technologies, in order to foster effective virtual teams. He also has ancillary research interests in team mental models, best practices in employee selection, and research pertaining to credentialing and to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

Outside of his academic work, he has a wide-ranging background in organizational consulting and psychometrics. This includes three years working with government agencies to develop effective employee selection and structured interview techniques; seven years of leadership coaching and strategic business communications experience in the Canadian agricultural industry; and, three years consulting on the assessment programs for several pan-Canadian credentialing and educational bodies.

Lecture Title: Putting Hiring Tests to the ‘Test’: or "How to Hire a Kick-Butt Research Assistant Using Evidence-based Structured Interviewing"

The lecture will take place on April 22, 2022, from 9-10 am (Atlantic Time) via the following Zoom link:  

https://upei.zoom.us/j/65655421358?pwd=em8waTZvakJUeEZzYndZaHFSRldPQT09

Meeting ID: 656 5542 1358

Passcode: 998892

For further information, please contact Shelly Kavanagh at businessfac@upei.ca.

The University of Prince Edward Island’s Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE) will showcase the best in sustainable design engineering by its students at the annual Student Design Expo and Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 22, starting at 1 pm. Projects can be viewed through the afternoon with the awards ceremony and keynote speaker beginning at 3:30 pm.

Student projects will be presented in person. Each project is the result of collaboration between FSDE students and an industry or community partner. Students were tasked with designing and creating solutions to their partners’ unique challenges.  If you are unable to join us in person, there will be project videos available starting April 19 at upei.ca/designexpo2022.

In-person participants must practice physical distancing, and three-layer masks are required at all times. Any external guests will require a vax pass, and COVID screening questions will be posted at the entrance for people to read before entering the building. Please use the North Entrance of the Engineering building, facing the Bell Aliant Centre.

The keynote presentation and awards ceremony will also be available via Zoom on the Design Expo website.

Keynote Speaker: Randy Herrmann, P.Eng., FEC

Title: Traditional Indigenous Technology

Randy Herrmann, P.Eng., is the Director of the Engineering  Access Program (ENGAP) at the University of Manitoba. ENGAP is a support program designed to assist First Nation, Metis, and Inuit students seeking an engineering degree. After receiving his BSc in Geological Engineering and 10 years of working in industry, his desire to help make it easier for Indigenous students to pursue engineering led him to become Director of ENGAP in 1998. He is a Fellow of Engineers Canada, and a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He is also a member of Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba and the Manitoba Metis community.

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments is Friday, April 29, 2022. These applications will be reviewed at the May 2022 meeting.

Please be sure to use the March 2022 update to the application form. Please also note that the IBC has instituted a new category of protocol amendment: Biosafety Permit Minor Amendment. This event form is included in the Researcher Portal.

Minor amendments that are strictly limited to changes in personnel and/or funding can be submitted at any time but require up to a two-week review period. They are normally reviewed by the IBC chair or designate, the BSO or designate, and one other voting member of the IBC. If the amendment is approved, then an approval notification will be sent to the PI. Submissions via this route may be sent for full committee review at the discretion of the IBC chair and the BSO.  

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the Researcher Portal.

Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms. Contact researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal.

For more information about the IBC review and approval process, please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca

Ethics protocols that involve "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI Research Ethics Board (REB). The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, April 29, 2022.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve "more than minimal risk," renewals, and amendments may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary forms are received.

All research compliance applications, including Research Ethics Board application forms, must be submitted through the Researcher Portal. This online system is paired with electronic approvals to replace the hard-copy signatures process.

Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms. Contact researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal.

For more information about the REB review and approval process, please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca.

UPEI’s Faculty of Business will hold information sessions for those interested in the MBA in Global Leadership and Executive MBA programs. The events will be Wednesday, April 27, with information about the MBA in Global Leadership being shared at 12:00 pm and information on the Executive MBA being shared at 5:00 pm. Both events will be held virtually. Please register by emailing mba@upei.ca.

The MBA in Global Leadership program is a cohort-model MBA program that can be completed in 12- or 24-months. The program is designed to enhance students' skill sets and decision-making abilities needed in today’s dynamic international business environment.

UPEI's Executive MBA program offers a high-quality learning experience for working business professionals. The program is designed for those working in, or aspiring to work in, a management or leadership position. Classes are offered bi-weekly on Fridays and Saturdays with the option to complete the program in 20 months.

To learn more about these exciting opportunities, the Faculty of Business invites you to attend these upcoming information sessions. Learn more about the program and application process, have your questions answered, and meet with staff, faculty, and students. Please email mba@upei.ca to register, and you will be sent an access link prior to the event.

For more information about UPEI's MBA programs, please visit www.upei.ca/globalmba or www.upei.ca/emba.

The deadline for Summer 2022 Tuition Waivers is April 29, 2022. We encourage you to have tuition waivers submitted as soon as possible to assist in the timely processing. Tuition Waiver forms must be submitted electronically.   

Online Employee and Spouse/Dependent Tuition Waiver fillable forms can be found on the main page of MyUPEI under UPEI Forms. 

If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at: (902) 566- 0514 or hrgeneral@upei.ca. 

Overview: The Certificate in Mental Health and Well-Being is designed for individuals who endeavour to maintain a strong sense of well-being and good mental health among colleagues and themselves throughout these challenging times. The Mental Health Awareness course will examine topics such as signs and symptoms of weakening mental health, strengthening mental health and well-being, supporting others struggling with mental health and well-being, building resilience, psychological health and safety in the workplace, preventing and managing burnout, and managing time and productivity in order to reduce stress. At the end of the course, participants will be able to improve mental health and well-being for themselves and others around them.

Designed for: People who are looking to monitor and/or improve mental health and well-being at home and at the workplace, among themselves, and with co-workers and colleagues.

Type of Delivery: Virtual.

Duration: Monday, June 20, 2022, from 9 am–3:30 pm

Facilitator(s): Jodi LeBlanc

Cost: $449.00

To register, go to https://www.upei.ca/professional-development/certificate/certificate-in-mental-health-and-well-being. 

Description of course: Learn how to write for the twenty-first-century workplace. In this five-week Intro to Workplace Writing course, you’ll learn tools and techniques for professional communication. As we navigate work in a digital age, with many operating in a work-from-home culture, you’ll learn updated strategies for enhancing communication. Learn new team communication tools such as Slack, Asana, and Google Docs. Ensuring your message is heard and understood is critical for a smooth workflow. Take your emails into the digital age and learn updated email etiquette strategies—what was acceptable ten years ago no longer is! Learn how to craft a message for an external audience vs an internal one, and employ effective content creation tools such as content calendars and style guides. Brush up on some basic grammar, learn how to recognize your own bias when crafting messages, and educate yourself with inclusive language best practices.

This course is virtual and can be completed independently on your own time over five sessions. Course material will be released weekly each Wednesday. There are videos and short assignments. 

Upon successful completion of the course material and all assignments, submitted on time to your facilitator, you will receive a digital badge and will have the beginnings of a portfolio of your work. 

Designed for: People who want to be or are involved with administrative work or work that involves a great deal of communication within the workplace.

Type of Delivery: Virtual

Duration: One asynchronous virtual session per week for five weeks along with independent readings and assignments

Facilitator: Christine Gordon Manley

Cost: $599.00 plus tax

To register, go to https://www.upei.ca/professional-development/certificates/professional-communications-certificate.

The PEI Symphony Orchestra will hold a benefit concert for the people of Ukraine on Sunday, April 24, at 2:30 pm, at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. The concert will feature music by Ukrainian composers, music written for Ukraine, and music that symbolizes unity and strength in adversity, including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Among the musicians performing will be faculty members and graduates from the UPEI Department of Music.
 
A portion of the proceeds will be go toward helping with Ukrainian humanitarian relief efforts; the audience will have the opportunity to make contributions at the event. The funds raised will help provide food, medicine, and shelter to those who have been injured and/or forced to flee their homes by the destruction caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
 
Tickets are available at the Confederation Centre Box Office (902-566-1267), starting at $35 per adult and $15 per student.

Non-consensual distribution of intimate images (NCDII) is becoming an increasingly common form of digital harassment. If you would like to know more about about NCDII and Canadian law, policing, and supports available for victims, please join an online panel discussion hosted by the NCDII Student Research Group at UPEI, Thursday, April 21, from 7- 8 pm. 

We are so excited to be able to bring together the expertise of four panel guests: 

1. Alexa Dodge, a post-doctoral fellow at Dalhousie in Law, Justice, and Society who specializes in NCDII, feminist theory, critical legal theory, and tech-facilitated violence
2. RCMP Const. Shannon Hodder, PEI's Internet Child Exploitation Unit
3. Sophia Saad, Board of Directors, P.E.E.R.S. Alliance
4. Darren Laur, licensed open-source intelligence and social media investigator and CLO with the White Hatter, a North American Internet safety and digital literacy education company 

The panel can be accessed through Zoom at the following link: https://fb.me/e/3bCf3AHzu

Attendance is free, but spaces are limited.

For more information about the panel or to learn more about the NCDII Student Research Group, please contact Heather Barnick, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, at hbarnick@upei.ca or student researchers Kailyn Sherren at kdsherren@upei.ca and Kaelyn White at kjwhite2@upei.ca.

The Faculty of Business invites members of the campus community – students, faculty and staff – to attend a virtual research presentation by Dr. Scott Cassidy for a tenure-track position of assistant professor of management position, with a focus on human resource management (HRM). 

Candidate Bio:

Dr. Scott Cassidy holds a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Guelph, as well as a diploma in Information Technology from Conestoga College. Scott’s line of organizational research is informed by this dual background in psychology and technology and primarily investigates ways to build effective virtual team communication patterns using a variety of different technologies in order to foster effective virtual teams. Scott also has ancillary research interests in team mental models, best practices in employee selection, and research pertaining to credentialing and to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Outside of his academic work, Scott has a wide-ranging background in organizational consulting and psychometrics. This includes three years working with government agencies to develop effective employee selection and structured interview techniques; seven years of leadership coaching and strategic business communications experience in the Canadian agricultural industry; and three years consulting on the assessment programs for several pan-Canadian credentialing and educational bodies.

Presentation Title:  Lost in Transmission: The Role of Communications Media in Developing High-Trust, High-Performance Remote Employee Teams

Abstract:

In the roughly two years since the COVID-19 virus resulted in the declaration of a global pandemic, the Canadian workforce has seen an unprecedented shift towards remote working arrangements, mediated by information and communications technologies. Although advances in these technologies have allowed workers to connect and collaborate across time and space to an extent that has never been possible before, remote work teams themselves present a challenge to organizations. Namely, as employee conversations increasingly move from the water cooler to the web, we risk losing many of the nuances that help us understand and meaningfully connect with our co-workers in the first place. And in doing so, we may ultimately harm our ability to work together effectively.

Dr. Scott Cassidy argues that remote (or virtual) work teams, if poorly structured, can foster greater uncertainty, lower trust, and maladaptive approaches to task completion. To explore this idea, he will discuss some of his mixed-methods research on simulated military rescue teams operating across different forms of electronic communications media.

In this presentation, he will discuss the major takeaways from this line of work; its future HRM applications to both globalized workforces and regional islands research; and the role that organizational scholars can serve in helping managers navigate what has rapidly become one of the most dramatic shifts to the global workforce in decades.

The presentation will take place on April 22 from 1:00–2:00 pm (Atlantic Time) via the following Zoom link:  

https://upei.zoom.us/j/69744346758?pwd=c3R2MVN6VWNybTFYajBsWWRxK3ZLUT09

Meeting ID: 697 4434 6758

Passcode: 130329

For further information, please contact Shelly Kavanagh at businessfac@upei.ca.

The Faculty of Business invites members of the campus community – students, faculty and staff – to attend a virtual lecture (teaching demonstration) by Dr. Scott Cassidy for a tenure-track position as assistant professor of management, with a focus on human resource management (HRM). 

Candidate Bio:

Dr. Scott Cassidy holds a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Guelph, as well as a diploma in Information Technology from Conestoga College. Scott’s line of organizational research is informed by this dual background in psychology and technology and primarily investigates ways to build effective virtual team communication patterns using a variety of different technologies, in order to foster effective virtual teams. He also has ancillary research interests in team mental models, best practices in employee selection, and research pertaining to credentialing and to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

Outside of his academic work, he has a wide-ranging background in organizational consulting and psychometrics. This includes three years working with government agencies to develop effective employee selection and structured interview techniques; seven years of leadership coaching and strategic business communications experience in the Canadian agricultural industry; and, three years consulting on the assessment programs for several pan-Canadian credentialing and educational bodies.

Lecture Title: Putting Hiring Tests to the ‘Test’: or "How to Hire a Kick-Butt Research Assistant Using Evidence-based Structured Interviewing"

The lecture will take place on April 22, 2022, from 9-10 am (Atlantic Time) via the following Zoom link:  

https://upei.zoom.us/j/65655421358?pwd=em8waTZvakJUeEZzYndZaHFSRldPQT09

Meeting ID: 656 5542 1358

Passcode: 998892

For further information, please contact Shelly Kavanagh at businessfac@upei.ca.

IT Systems and Services will perform critical maintenance on the UPEI network on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, from 9 to 11 pm. There may be intermittent network interruptions during this time period.

Regardless of where you are, you may experience interruptions on IT platforms that are hosted on campus servers such as Moodle, myUPEI, Colleague, RxWorks, and Wi-Fi. 

If you are on campus, the Internet, network connectivity, and other services may be not accessible during this time except if you are in the residences, which are on a different network.

If you are off campus, many services such as Microsoft solutions (including email), Google, Zoom, upei.ca, etc., that are in the cloud will not be impacted.

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding while this necessary maintenance is completed.

The University of Prince Edward Island’s Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE) will showcase the best in sustainable design engineering by its students at the annual Student Design Expo and Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 22, starting at 1 pm. Projects can be viewed through the afternoon with the awards ceremony and keynote speaker beginning at 3:30 pm.

Student projects will be presented in person. Each project is the result of collaboration between FSDE students and an industry or community partner. Students were tasked with designing and creating solutions to their partners’ unique challenges.  If you are unable to join us in person, there will be project videos available starting April 19 at upei.ca/designexpo2022.

In-person participants must practice physical distancing, and three-layer masks are required at all times. Any external guests will require a vax pass, and COVID screening questions will be posted at the entrance for people to read before entering the building. Please use the North Entrance of the Engineering building, facing the Bell Aliant Centre.

The keynote presentation and awards ceremony will also be available via Zoom on the Design Expo website.

Keynote Speaker: Randy Herrmann, P.Eng., FEC

Title: Traditional Indigenous Technology

Randy Herrmann, P.Eng., is the Director of the Engineering  Access Program (ENGAP) at the University of Manitoba. ENGAP is a support program designed to assist First Nation, Metis, and Inuit students seeking an engineering degree. After receiving his BSc in Geological Engineering and 10 years of working in industry, his desire to help make it easier for Indigenous students to pursue engineering led him to become Director of ENGAP in 1998. He is a Fellow of Engineers Canada, and a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He is also a member of Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba and the Manitoba Metis community.

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments is Friday, April 29, 2022. These applications will be reviewed at the May 2022 meeting.

Please be sure to use the March 2022 update to the application form. Please also note that the IBC has instituted a new category of protocol amendment: Biosafety Permit Minor Amendment. This event form is included in the Researcher Portal.

Minor amendments that are strictly limited to changes in personnel and/or funding can be submitted at any time but require up to a two-week review period. They are normally reviewed by the IBC chair or designate, the BSO or designate, and one other voting member of the IBC. If the amendment is approved, then an approval notification will be sent to the PI. Submissions via this route may be sent for full committee review at the discretion of the IBC chair and the BSO.  

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the Researcher Portal.

Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms. Contact researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal.

For more information about the IBC review and approval process, please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca

Ethics protocols that involve "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI Research Ethics Board (REB). The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, April 29, 2022.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve "more than minimal risk," renewals, and amendments may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary forms are received.

All research compliance applications, including Research Ethics Board application forms, must be submitted through the Researcher Portal. This online system is paired with electronic approvals to replace the hard-copy signatures process.

Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms. Contact researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal.

For more information about the REB review and approval process, please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca.

Conference season is around the corner, including the UPEI Teaching Community Conference on May 3 (note the shameless plug for our own event!). Ensure that you have a stellar presentation by using the pointers in this article: Scientific Presenting: Using Evidence-Based Classroom Practices to Deliver Effective Conference Presentations.